Amherst and Northampton · United States
The Amherst and Northampton food cheat sheet
One page from Chef Amazing · November 2026
The dish to eat
A cake doughnut made with boiled-down apple cider, fried and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
Best at Atkins Farms Country Market, South Amherst. Get: A bag of cider doughnuts
Five places, and what to order
- Mala Pot & Grillcounter · Downtown NorthamptonGet: Malatang: pick your vegetables, noodles and meats and they cook them in a spicy broth
- Amherst Oyster Barbar · Downtown AmherstGet: Oysters on the half shell
- Tellus & the Satellite Barbar · Downtown Northampton (Thornes basement)Get: The Wagyu double smash burger
- Herrell's Ice Creamfor ice cream with mix-ins · Downtown Northampton (Thornes Marketplace)Get: Any flavor with a smoosh-in
- Pinocchio's Pizzeriafor pizza by the slice · Downtown NorthamptonGet: A slice
The market
Farmers market. Produce, maple, baked goods and prepared food from valley farms
How it works here
Tip: Tip 18-22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two a drink at the bar.
Book: Book the hot places on Resy or OpenTable, often the day tables drop (2-4 weeks out); counters and slices are walk-in.
When locals eat: Lunch noon-2pm, dinner 6-9pm; it gets late only in the big cities.